Nantwich miss out on promotion

Nantwich's players applaud the travelling support after the final whistle

Nantwich Town missed out on a third consecutive promotion as they lost 2-1 at Ilkeston after extra-time in the Unibond Premier League play-off final.

Ilkeston will now be playing in the Blue Square North next season.

Nantwich manager Steve Davis told BBC Radio Stoke: "We just fell a bit short in the game today, to be honest.

"We gave ourselves a fantastic chance to get out of this league. Hopefully the lads that are still here can learn from this and do it next season."

Davis added: "My expectations are always to do well. I expect everyone to be positive and achieve whatever we can achieve."

The Dabbers have experienced a huge upturn in fortunes since winning the FA Vase in 2006.

Davis has led them to the brink of Conference football, just two seasons after they were playing in the North West Counties League, which is the ninth tier of English football.

Chairman Clive Jackson added: "We've done fantastically well and I just feel sorry for the fans.

"They've followed us all over the north of England this season and I'm just sorry that we couldn't give them something that I felt we deserved."